So one of my friends just sent me this link about germs and how they transfer and everything and I realized how this affects each of us at competitions. In my region, teams typically get to play in 6 qualification matches and they are run really quickly so there isn’t much time to go to the bathroom or really do much between matches. This is going to get kind of rambly so just stay with me for a second. At the end of matches, you shake hands with 2-3 teams, so you then have the germs from 6-9 people on just your hands alone. You then touch your robot to take it back to the pits and anyone who wasn’t on your drive team then touches the robot and also gets the germs from 6-10 people. This pattern repeats throughout the entire competition. While you are shaking everyone’s hands and touching your robots, you’re not washing your hands because there typically isn’t time to, and so you’re spreading all of these germs everywhere. Now keep in mind that all of the germs that were on the hands of everyone on your team are also on your robot. After the competition is over, you take your robot back home and you touch it again, and then at your house you start touching other surfaces, therefore transferring the germs from the competition to your house as well.
Basically what I’m trying to say is this: competitions are gross and we’re spreading all of our germs to everyone. Regardless of a global pandemic or not, there is no need for that many germs to be going around so I think that we should switch to something else, such as a fistbump. And I know that there was another similar topic to this about handshake alternatives at worlds, but I think that we should consider moving away from handshakes throughout entire seasons moving forward, rather than just at worlds or whenever there’s some form of sickness going around.
I see what you are getting at, however, the handshake is a staple of good sportsmanship. In my opinion, I think that you should just be given a variety of things you can do instead as an alternative such as the fist bump and bows. If someone doesn’t want a handshake, then the individual offering the handshake should respect the other’s preference and do the alternative instead.
Yeah I like that idea. I personally really appreciate the sportsmanship that we see in vex a lot and I do enjoy the handshakes, I’ve just noticed that a lot of people get sick after competitions and want to figure out a way to try to limit that.
People tend to get sick after going to large gatherings of any sorts, handshakes are usually not very high on the ‘going to infect you’ scale. Instead, people do absurd things like breathing and eating food that has been breathed on, and that is what makes people sick
Unless I’m extremely distracted with a possible dq call, or the score is really close and I want to count it up to figure out the outcome I always try to shake my opponents’ hands because it’s the respectful thing to do. Just leaving a match without letting our opponents know that they played well in the match would be a big change that I wouldn’t be a fan of.
Yeah I agree. I think that we should obviously do something to show good sportsmanship, I just think that there are better ways that lessen the chances of getting sick than handshakes
If you’re concerned with transmitting germs just fist bump instead. Or carry some hand sanitizer with you.
Who are you, who are so wise in the ways of breathing food
{(breathing) && (eating food)}
The best way to not get sick at a comp is to be in good health before hand. So many of us don’t get enough sleep and wear ourselves out the week or two before(I am guilty of this) and by the time comp rolls around our immune systems just can’t keep up. Stay rested, hydrated, and practice good hygiene and people wont get sick as often.
I wouldn’t say never shake hands again. I do agree with the part that it’s much more sanitary, but it is what it is. I think that getting sick is a part of life and if you’re really that worried about it carry hand sanitizer and keep disinfectant in your box.
I mean, I always, find it in me to go over and tell my opponents good game, which is less than i can say for some people I’ve been on a team with. But I usually tend to high five them, as well as going up to them in the pits after a match and congratulating them. I mean, I also use that as an opportunity to scout, but still. I’ve been high fiving people after matches for about a year and a half, and I haven’t gotten sick. I mean, I haven’t gotten sick following a comp period, but that’s beside the point.
I enjoy this thread simply because I get sick after every comp. I love VEX to much to care.
(Prolly has something to do with me not eating or using the bathroom there…)
If you had the Coronavirus, you would cough in your elbow and touch elbows with others. I mean,
SERIOUSLY
that was the best that they could come up with?
You can go too far the wrong way as well. Don’t forget that you do need exposure to allow your bodies to develop and strengthen its resistance to germs and such. Sanitizing everything and having no contact swings the pendulum way to far the wrong way and we become susceptible to all sorts of things, because our bodies have never been exposed to germs. Being cautious is one thing. Being paranoid to touch anything or anyone is another.
Maybe coming out of this we will all be more aware of things like, how often we eat without washing our hands first?